Myne Lodge At Bilit Village

28th-29th July 2009

Inspection trip with Ck, Andrew and Gwenda at Myne Lodge which is about 6 hours drive from Kota Kinabalu via land or by flight to Sandakan city on the East Coast of Sabah then continue by land for another 2 hours to the lodge.

The resort itself offers visitors spacious rooms equipped with aircondition and hot shower plus balcony for easy birding and sunset watching on each room :) Other than that, birders has options either birding along the access road for Sooty-capped Babbler, Great Argus, Black and Crimson Pitta and many more or explore the nature trail and cruising along the river.

Nice looking room.

Connecting room via balcony.

Chalets built on the hill.


Restaurant is ready with coffee and tea through out the day.


Gwenda and Ck


Andrew


Observation deck overlooking the Kinabatangan River where Storm's Stork and Wreated Hornbill was seen in flight.


Pier where the river cruise starts


Access road to the lodge with walking trails around 2 km


Tenegang River

Some of the birds during the trip:

Yellow-bellied Prinia

Collared Kingfisher

Scarlet-rumped Trogon

Crested Serpent Eagle, the commonest raptor along Kinabatangan River.

Half moon digiscoped from the lodge.

Long-tailed Macaque enjoying the view from the cable across the river.

A pair of Wrinkled Hornbill and female is on top.

The gang hehehe

Images digiscoped with Nikon Fieldscope ED82, SRB-Griturn adapter and Fujifilm F31D.

For more info, please visit their website at www.myne.com.my

Thanks to Ck for the trip and happy birding :)

Birding With Eustace Barnes And Charlotte Cook

10th - 25th July 2009

Had a nice trip with one of the well know bird guide for South America, Eustace Barnes with his client, Charlotte Cook recently and managed to see more than half of the endemic birds of Borneo such as Whitehead's Trogon and Mountain Serpent Eagle with 23 mammal species throughout the trip.

Itinerary for the trip:

• Day 1 : Kota Kinabalu.
• Day 2 - 7 : Tambunan Rafflesia Centre / Kinabalu National Park.
• Day 7 - 11 : Danum Valley Forest Reserve.
• Day 11 - 14 : Kinabatangan River
• Day 14 : Kinabalu Park
• Day 15 : Kota Kinabalu / Airport
  

Key species seen out of 259 birds recorded during the tour :

• Storm's Stork.
• Mountain Serpent Eagle - Last day while driving back to Kota Kinabalu from Kinabalu Park. What a luck !
  
• White-fronted Falconet - 1 individual seen perched on a tree en route to Lahad Datu.
• Long-toed Stint - Early arrival of this species at Kota Belud paddy field.
• Whitehead's Trogon - A pair seen at usual place along Silau-silau Trail a bit off the track.
• Rufous-collared Kingfisher - Close up with this species at Poring Hot Spring.
• Bornean Barbet
  
• Orange-backed Woodpecker
• Whitehead's Broadbill - Shared the same fruiting tree with Mountain Barbet at Tambunan Rafflesia Centre.
• Black and Crimson Pitta
• Blue-headed Pitta
• Fruithunter
• Kinabalu Leafbird
• Scaly-breasted Bulbul - A bit high on tree but thanks to the spotting scope by Nikon.
• Bornean Bristlehead - At Bornean Rainforest Lodge.
• Bornean Wren Babbler
• Grey-headed Babbler
• Everett's Thrush
• Kinabalu Friendly Warbler - Only seen brief but twice by Eustace.

Pictures digiscoped with Nikon Fieldscope ED82 and ED50, SRB-Griturn adapter and Fujifilm F31D

Good weather at Mt. Kinabalu

Colugo or Flying Lemur

Banded Kingfisher female

Crow-billed Drongo

Red-naped Trogon

Anyone know this ?

Charlotte and Eustace

Formation of clouds surrounding Mt. Kinabalu

At Tambunan

Kota Belud paddy field

Entrance and exit to Gomantong Cave

One of the hole seen from the cave

Morning cruise at Kinabatangan River

Pied Hornbill

Scarlet-rumped Trogon

Eustace and Charlotte currently at West Malaysia for another couple of days at Fraser's Hill and Kuala Selangor Nature Park. Hope they will see their targets there :)


Happy birding !

Bilit Rainforest Lodge At Bilit Village

1st - 3rd July 2009

Spent few days at this lovely new lodge which begun its operation last year and has been receiving constant visitors to enjoyed the wildlife such as Orang Utan and Proboscis Monkey along the Kinabatangan River and the facilities offered by the lodge itself is superb !

• Internet room plus Wifi (Wifi didn't work well unfortunately, hope they will fix it soon).
• Optional caterpillar shoes and leech socks for visitor chargeable daily RM 15 per person for trekking at oxbow lake.
  

Each building that houses 2 rooms is connected by walkway


View of the restaurant from the pier


Pier with boats for cruising along the river


Map of the lodge plus trails to Oxbow lake


View of the forest and good place for birds such as Dusky Munia, Crested Serpent Eagle and Blue-eared Barbet




Spacious room with 2 twins and 1 single bed with air condition and fan

Living room with satellite television

Dining area

The bird life around the lodge and surrounding areas is good and the closest smaller river from the lodge is the Tanegang Besar. Heard Bornean Ground Cuckoo and saw a Hooded Pitta on the 2nd day in the morning but it was only brief.

Aboundant Raptors such as Lesser Fish Eagle, Bat Hawk and Crested Goshawk together with 5 species of Hornbill i.e Rhinoceros and Bushy-crested Hornbill.

JD the boatman, Alven and Chai waiting for the Bornean Ground Cuckoo

Wrinkled Hornbill


Chestnut-breasted Malkoha


Lesser Fish Eagle seen daily


Green Broadbill digiscoped at Oxbow lake


Common resident at the lodge, Eurasian Tree Sparrow


Lesser Adjutant



Blue-eared Kingfisher


Oriental Pied Hornbill


Crested Serpent Eagle caught sleeping

Images digiscoped with Nikon Fieldscope ED82, SRB-Griturn Mk II adapter and Fujifilm F31D

The lodge is situated at Bilit village which is around 120 km from Sandakan city on the east coast of Sabah. Daily direct flights from Kota Kinabalu is available and for journey via land, it takes 5 hours drive passing through one of the best landscape scenary in Borneo.

For more info, please visit their website at http://www.tropicalg.com/

Thanks to Chai Cherong Absolute Borneo for the trip and Alven for the laugh hahaha :)